Address to convocation by Dr. George Faulkner

Wednesday, May 26, 3 p.m.

Good afternoon to all of you who are graduating at this
convocation from Memorial University. I extend my congratulations
and best wishes. I also extend best wishes and thanks on your
behalf to all those persons who are here today supporting you. No
doubt each of them is proud and happy for your success. No doubt,
each of them, in his or her own way, has helped you get to where
you are today. Never take that support for granted and make sure
you personally thank your family and friends for all they have done
to help you arrive here today.

I also want to thank my wife, Midge, my two sons, Bob and Pete, and
all the other members of my own family who have supported me on my
journey along the road of life, and who have helped make this day
possible for me.
I extend thanks to the Senate of the university for conferring this
degree on me. Little did I think when I started playing hockey on
the Exploits River in Bishops Falls over 65 years ago that I would
be here today to receive a doctor of laws degree. It is hard for me
to express exactly how I feel to be honoured in this way by our
university. I was one of seven children and was born in the middle
of the Great Depression.

My father worked for the Newfoundland Railway and he worked very
hard to support our family. Life was not easy. I finished high
school in Bishops Falls and in those days there were very few
opportunities to go to university. I got a job with the railway and
was very glad to do so. Even though there was very little money
around when we were growing up, and we all had many chores to do,
we still had time to play hockey on the frozen Exploits River which
flowed through Bishop’s Falls. We all loved to play hockey
and fortunately myself along with all of my brothers and some of
our friends were good at it!

From the frozen river and then on to artificial ice in Grand Falls,
I got an opportunity to pursue my hockey career back in the early
1950s. While I did not make it to the NHL (there were six teams
then, not 30 as there are today) I am quite happy with the way my
life in hockey turned out.

I did play in a Major Professional League in Quebec for four years.
I have played on or coached nine Herder Championship Teams in this
province, more than any other person who has ever participated
here. My time with Team Canada in 1966 and 1967 in the World Hockey
Championships were memorable and enjoyable. I also took pride in
being a mentor and coach to many other young men from this province
who had productive and outstanding hockey careers of their own.

Wayne Gretzky said “a good hockey player plays where the puck
is. A great hockey player plays to where the puck is
going.”

I like to think that throughout my career I often went to where the
puck was going. Paul Coffey, one of the greatest defencemen to ever
play in the NHL, said: “Nobody is a natural, you work hard to
get good and then keep working to get better. It’s hard to
stay on top.”

Not only does that quotation apply to hockey, it is very applicable
to life, in general, and I urge all of you as you leave here to go
out into the world, to remember those important words. Hard work is
one of the vital elements in a successful life and career. We are
living in a Global Village, your competition will not only come
from those in your class, your province or indeed your country. You
will have to compete with young men and women from all over the
world. This will be your challenge, and to meet that challenge,
hard work and dedication will be required. As, George Halas, the
great coach of the Chicago Bears said: “Nobody who gave his
best ever regretted it.”

I also enjoin you to remember the immortal words of Yogi Berra:
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind
up somewhere else.” Today, the world is an unpredictable
place. Like the ocean that surrounds the Island on which we live,
life is constantly changing. At times the sea is calm, while at
other times it will be rough and fraught with danger. Yet, even as
you get moved around in strong currents and storms that come out of
nowhere, there is much that remains in your control.

You must keep a firm hand on the helm. You must steer the right
course, trust your instincts, react quickly to change and take
advantage of opportunities. The ability to overcome challenge and
adversity is what united the many generations of Newfoundlanders
and Labradorians who have preceded you. Their hard work has
provided you with the opportunity to study and learn some of the
skills you will need to continue in their tradition of perseverance
and commitment to family and place. It is something you must never
lose sight of as you chart your own course, be it here or elsewhere
in the world.

Also, do not forget that you are a privileged group in our society
and as such, I encourage you to become active volunteers in the
community in which you will live. I love to play the guitar and
sing. For many years, I have attended at seniors homes at various
places in the province. Those experiences have enriched my own life
and I think, in some small way, enriched the lives of those people
for whom I have performed.

Statistics have shown that volunteers gain tremendous benefits from
the act of giving, such as a reduction in stress, a decrease in
physical pain and a “rush” that makes people literally
feel good inside. Also, remember that social contacts which come
from volunteer work allow people to develop better interpersonal
and communication skills. In addition, these social contacts are a
potential career investment and will also allow you to meet people
who share your interests. At the same time, you are giving
something back to your community and helping your fellow citizens.
It is a “win-win” situation. You will not regret
it.
As Winston Churchill said “We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give.” There are no hard and fast
rules for how we give back to our community. We are all unique,
with a different combination of skills, education and interests.
But, there are some guiding principles that have helped me respond
to challenges and capitalize on opportunities over the years, and I
would like to share them with you.

First and foremost follow your dreams. In other words, be fearless.
Yes, you should listen to your head, and take steps to minimize
risk. But please, listen to your heart. If there is something you
really want to do, a dream that you long to fulfill, then by all
means, go for it. If you fail, then as my grandson little George
would say, “pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all
over again.”
Then there’s honesty and personal integrity. Honesty is to
say what you mean, and integrity is to mean what you say. You have
to work with others in a fair and ethical way. Treat people with
dignity and you will earn their respect, their friendship, their
loyalty, their cooperation. You are quickly going to learn, if you
haven’t already, that you have to work with others to
succeed.

As a player and as a coach in my career, I found that the best
teams were made up of people who worked together for a common goal
and put forth the effort needed to achieve that goal. I know the
last thing you want to do today is answer any tough questions, but
I will pose several for you to ponder: How will you handle the
world of work? How will you adjust to the transition you now face
as you graduate?

The good news is that there isn’t a definitive answer. I can
tell you that my own success is attributable to hard work, common
sense, fair dealings, respect for others and paying attention to
detail. You may have informal relationships or you may work as part
of a disciplined team, but the way you work with others will have a
major impact on your own achievements.

Learn to delegate work to other people, empower them to get the job
done and trust them to do it right. A positive attitude will be
essential to achieving your goals, by seeing solutions where others
see problems; opportunities where others see threats; and by
embracing change, when those around you resent it.
You should also be confident in yourself and your abilities. Be
assertive. You have to believe in yourself at all times, because if
you don’t, why should others? Also, I encourage you to keep a
healthy balance in your lives. While work and a career is extremely
important, time spent at play and at recreational pursuits are
vital to a happy, productive and well rounded life.

Finally, when I think about the many accomplishments of this
university, the thousands of graduates over the years who have
helped build our society, and the scores distinguished people who
have received honorary degrees, I see an important part of the
great history of our province. When I look at the bright young
faces in this convocation hall, I see the future of our province.
There is an energy and a light shining from all of you, shining
brightly, as if to say that our future is in the very best of
hands.

Having said all of this, I also want you to remember these immortal
and wonderful words to help guide you as you live your lives:
“when the one Great Scorer comes to write against your name,
He will not ask if you’ve won or lost, but how you’ve
played the game.”

Go forth. Take charge. Play the game of life. Make it happen. Have
fun. Make a difference! I am proud to accept this degree and proud
to be numbered with the other degree recipients whom I
congratulate. Thank you.